Kaido Genkai is the next CarPG on my radar
My favorite underutilized genre of video game is the CarPG. These are story-based, open-world games where the main traversal is via a vehicle.
The top games in this informal genre that made me become a fan are Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005, the OG), and Mad Max.
If we're being loose with the definition, then we can also include Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Forza Horizon 4 into the list, though these games are disqualified by not having a plot. But they do have the important ingredient of an open world and the traversal of it using a vehicle. It's a loose definiton, but I hope you get what I mean with these types of games.
The more recent ones I've played that scratch that itch (but not quite enough) are Caravan SandWitch and MotorTown. I've even tried Bus and Taxi simulators but without a good plot as the backbone, I find it hard to keep coming back.
Now, there's a new game coming that ticks a lot of boxes for me, and that is Kaido Genkai. I first heard about this game from a recommended YouTube video. The demo had come out and people were sharing their opinions on it.
Seeing that it looked like a fun time, I immediately downloaded the demo on my Steam Deck and tried it out. The following are my opinions after spending X hours on it.
- This is made by a solo developer with the help of a couple of artists. I'm all for supporting indie devs, especially those that make games I'd love to play.
- The setting is in Japan. I don't need to expound why that is a plus for me.
- I love the artstyle. This keeps the game playable on my Steam Deck without adding all the unnecessary clutter. I'm not big on realism when it comes to my games so this is the sweet spot for me. The cell-shaded cars look very cool and the surroundings give me a cozy vibe. I can see myself exploring the world for hours.
- So far, the story is only mildly introduced. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but it's a good motivator as any to get your character driving and earning "rep".
- The soundtrack is banging! Exactly the kind of music I'd expect to hear when driving the Japanese countryside.
- It's an early demo, so there's a lot of jank. My main complaint is the limited control on the camera. I can't tilt up or down, just left and right for now. I hope it gets fixed in the future (big chance it will). Aside from that, the game still needs a lot of polishing. But for a demo, it shows a lot of potential.
- The driving takes a bit to get used to, and with only two cars to use and no tuning (yet), you can't modify the car to fit your style. As an example, for some reason I'm drifting more when I'm not pressing the brake. But after a few races and lots of retries, I'm getting the hang of it.
Now I'm just waiting for it to officially release on Steam. In the meantime, the developer has a Kickstarter for the game currently ongoing and they need to reach the goal by mid-July. I really hope they do as this would be a big help to their production. For those broke like me, the best thing they can do is to spread the word. This is me doing my part.
This post isn't sponsored but it's refreshing to see an indie game that tickles my pickle so well. I hope the game becomes successful so that the developer can add even more stuff to the game.
-jgzn